Average weekly jobless benefit: $294

Although the maximum jobless benefit in California is $450 a week, many of the 1.1 million people now collecting unemployment are getting less than that. A lot less.

The Employment Development Department reports that the average weekly unemployment check in August was $293.55. That was down from $299.23 a year ago and well off the peak benefit of $318.82 in June 2009.

Loree Levy, an EDD spokeswoman, said officials don't know the precise reason for the decline in average weekly payouts. Part is due to the cutoff of the extra $25-a-week in benefits that was part of the economic stimulus program.

Also, there may have been more highly-paid white collar workers from the mortgage and finance sectors who lost their jobs in 2009. Unemployment is based on pay.

Levy suggested that more recently, the mix of unemployed may involve more people who were either lower-paid workers or employees who had their hours cutback before getting laid off, which would reduce their weekly jobless check.

Average weekly unemployment pay has always gone up and down with the economy, but the checks began a steady march higher after the state legislature approved a gradual increase in benefits from a maximum of $230 a week in 2001 to $450 in 2005.

There was a big monthly drop in March 2009 when average payouts fell from $312.12 to $272.07. It is unclear what happened that month, although unemployment filings could have been affected by the state legislature which took several votes before finally approving rules that would allow Californians to get extended unemployment benefits. (Click on chart to enlarge.)

The issue of unemployment benefits is heating up this week as Congress debates President Barack Obama's jobs bill. Among his proposals is to continue the current 99 weeks of extended unemployment benefits for another year.

Critics argue extending benefits only encourages people to remain on unemployment rather than take any job that is offered.

So tell us ...Do you think $294 a week is an incentive to not find a job?

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